Obama connecting with Asian-American voters

[TragedyandHope]

Asian-American vote shedding passive past

In a recent column for the San Francisco Chronicle, writer Jeff Yang was even inspired to riff on President Clinton's honorary black membership and ask if Obama's background — parental academic pressure, struggle for identity, guilt-wielding mother, Harvard education — would make him the first Asian-American president.

"So much of what we deal with is the notion of being outsiders, foreigners, of being outside the social dialogue of the United States," Yang said in an interview. "You look at Obama and those are some of the same aspersions and slanders being cast at him. He's kind of the closest thing we can have legally to an immigrant in the White House. He's somebody who understands this journey that Asian-Americans and other immigrants have made."

[firedupdem]

1. He relates to everyone in some way...it's amazing! n/t

[namahage]

2. Isn't his half-sister half Indonesian? n/t

[FrenchieCat]

4. Yep. And Obama was born and grew up in Hawaii.

His BIL is Chinese Canadian, and his niece is 1/4 Idonesian, 1/2 Chinese and 1/4 White,
So, to a great extent, he is closest to the Asian culture than any other candidate in American history who has ever run for the office of President.

[tblue]

3. He is NOT an immigrant. But if immigrants see themselves in him, that's a beautiful thing.

[lligrd]

5. I've Noticed It At Work

Most of my Asian co-workers were against Obama at first but every single one of them is now pro Obama.